"The LaVergne/Smyrna district that I have had the pleasure to represent has flourished during the last eight years," said Holladay, noting he thought it was time for him to pass the baton for another to serve.

In an email to fellow school board members and The Daily News Journal, Holladay expressed his intent to withdraw from the race. He said he will give his support to Dow Smith, a longtime Smyrna resident and current candidate in the race.

Smith will face Tammy Sharp for the seat.

Holladay's decision comes a day after opposing the board's decision to offer Oakland High School Principal Bill Spurlock the job to succeed retiring district Director Don Odom.

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Oakland High School Principal Bill Spurlock talks about how his interview went with the Rutherford County Board of Education for the district director job.
Scott Broden/DNJ

Holladay joined Lisa Moore in the 5-2 vote.

Holladay ranked Central Magnet School Principal John Ash as the top choice to be director. Holladay also wanted to conduct a new search, but the majority of the board rejected that in a 4-3 vote.

Holladay touts what district accomplished

Aaron Holladay(Photo: Submitted)

Holladay's email mentioned how the district has increased services, including in his zone.

"The LaVergne/Smyrna district that I have had the pleasure to represent has flourished during the last eight years," Holladay said. "LaVergne High’s Dual Enrollment Academy has awarded almost a million dollars worth of college credit hours through partnerships with Motlow, University of the Cumberlands, and other institutions of higher education.

"I have particularly enjoyed the responsibility I felt to advocate for the Fine Arts inside of our schools. Creating the Coordinator of Fine Arts position at the Central Office allowed us to remain relevant in comparison to other districts," Holladay said.

The outgoing board member said he'll continue to advocate for a secondary schools aviation program that would feed into the nationally recognized MTSU Aerospace-Professional Pilot program.

"I believe that program could fit best at Smyrna High School in cooperation with the Smyrna Airport, Hollingshead Aviation, and other local businesses," Holladay said. "Much like the mechatronics program at Oakland High School and their cooperation with Nissan, Schwan, and Bridgestone; the Smyrna Aviation pathway could be a great success."

Holladay is endorsing his successor to be Smith.

"I have spoken with Dow from time to time during my tenure on the school board, and I am confident that he is ready to step into the role of a school board member," Holladay said.

Smith said he learned about Holladay's endorsement from the dnj.com post.

"I’m honored and humbled for him to do so," Smith said. "He's done an excellent job. I'm grateful to get his endorsement."

In addition to this, his standing in the community and the fact that he is an alum of Smyrna High will produce benefits that I could never accomplish. Dow reflects the values that I hold in highest regard and has a business background in construction similar to my perspective.

"In the relay race for success in Rutherford County it is my hope that I could pass this responsibility to Dow Smith in a seamless handoff. I expect Rutherford County Schools will continue to be the brightest highlight in the state of Tennessee, where education is moving forward faster than anywhere else in the United States. #pebbleinthepond"

Reach Scott Broden at sbroden@dnj.com, 615-278-5158 or on Twitter @ScottBroden.